fashion

Howdy from Hong Kong! Gosh I love Honkers. It’s such a bustling, crazy little place where the streets are always filled with people, everything is open til later than late and there are TOO MANY beauty shops. Imagine 5 different versions of Priceline (Australia) or Boots (UK) and then put a dozen of them within a 5 km radius of one another and that’s Hong Kong. Then rather than imagining those shops to be all set out in a spacious and clear manner, change that to everything being piled ontop of one another and filled with brands and products you’ve never heard of. It’s a girls paradise! Whenever I come to HK I always make sure to stock up on all the different beauty buys that I know I cant get elsewhere. It’s also a place where I find myself trying so many different and new things and being a fair-skinned lass, the products seem to be made for me! So, because I only really had yesterday free in the whole week that I’m here I tried to cram the bulk of my beauty hunting into one day and I still managed to come away with some bargains! Let’s have a little looksie shall we?

Goodies!

First up, face masks. I haven’t really gone into too much detail on my blog as to how obsessed I am with sheet masks. But I guess cat’s out of the bag now!! After travelling to different parts of Asia for the past 7 years, I quickly noticed how beautiful and young Asian skin looks. This can’t all be because of great genes can it!? One thing I have learnt is that Asian women put a lot of time, effort and care into maintaining the youthfulness of their skin and a big part of their regime is face masks. This is pretty obvious from the minute you step into any beauty store as the places are usually decked out with massive skin care sections featuring hundreds of different sheet masks all claiming to do various things. Snail goo masks, bird’s nest masks, bee pollen masks, horse oil masks.. there are definitely some strange ones but there are also a fair few that are much less daunting. I’ve tried so many different ones and I am honestly yet to find one that I feel hasn’t left my skin feeling better than before I put it on. I guess you just have to be clear in what you feel your skin needs and then try to either ask one of the staff to help you or try to find parts on the box that are actually written in english and then find something that offers what you need. I always tend to sway toward the same things which include brightening, tightening, moisturising and collagen masks. This time the shop I was in was offering a bit of a deal on some boxes and so I got the 24K Gold Hydra Ampoule Mask by Fresh Nation. There seems to be a lot of hype surrounding ‘gold’ masks and this one contains an extra separate section containing ‘ampoule’ which is basically a concentrated, stronger version of the product that you apply first before the sheet mask. This mask is good for moisturising and hydrating the skin whilst improving elasticity and vitality. Sounds good to me, cant wait to try it!

FACE MASKS!

24K Gold Hydra Ampoule Mask

There is the cutest shop ever located right in Causeway Bay called Etude House which is Korean based and stocks oh so many cutesy beauty bits. I don’t often buy many things from here because the first time I found it, I went totally overboard due to the cute-ness and was left slightly underwhelmed on the quality of the tester samples they gave me, but it is always fun to see what new things they have on offer. They also have billions of face masks so I picked up a collagen one (always a winner!) and a Cherry Jelly lips patch because YOLO. The lips patch contains collagen, sodium hyaluronate and cherry extract which will help the lips feel moisturised, revitalised and plump which sounded great for my post flying, dehydrated non-plump lips. I also got a little charcoal chin patch because I’ve had a bit of a chin breakout 🙁

Goodies from Etude House

Touristing!

Over at Sasa (the joint that seems to be the major player in beauty here) I found a replica of the Silisponge. If you haven’t heard of the Silisponge don’t be too alarmed as it’s a relatively new product which was produced in Korea to rival the good old beauty blender. Its made out of silicone and is meant to be a lot more hygienic than a normal sponge and it doesn’t soak up all of your precious product. I first saw it online and didn’t even bother trying to order one because it was completely sold out. It hasn’t taken long for other companies to steal the idea and make their own! I gave it a go this morning and whilst I did feel like I was slapping my face with a silicone chicken fillet (for your bra), it did give a nice finish and I barely used any product. Plus the sponge washed off clean as a whistle afterwards so no more nasty germs! What I found most hilarious about this buy though was compared to the usual AUD$30 Sephora like to charge for the Beauty Blender (I don’t get it?) I paid AUD$5 for this little guy. I’m pretty sure I won’t have to be replacing it every 3 months either!!

Sasa is everywhere!

Silicone sponge

I got a few random bits from a shop called Mannings Plus which reminded me of a pharmacy or chemist in Australia but still contained sooooo many exciting things! I bought a charcoal toothbrush because mine had unfortunately been ruined by my red shampoo some 36,000 feet up in the air. There is always something that has to leak/explode isn’t there! Also, Id never seen charcoal toothbrushes before? Apparently the charcoal is meant to remove stains from teeth, be naturally antibacterial and balance the pH level of the mouth which reduces cavity forming bacteria. I’d heard of charcoal toothpaste but these bad boys are next level! I also got some Revlon airbrush effect foundation, pretty boring I know as it’s not in cushion form and isn’t some new age asian bb cream but this stuff is great for competitions and I have completely run out of comp makeup 🙂 Also it was AUD$7 cheaper than what I pay in Australia.. BARGAIN!

Speaking of bargains, there’s one last thing Id like to mention. About a month ago I did a little online shopping and purchased some Crest 3D Whitening Strips from America. This product isn’t sold in Australia but I had heard from a couple of friends who had been to America and bought it say that the strips are AMAZING and their teeth spoke the truth! All up it cost me AUD$90 for the Professional Effects pack (not the bargain I’m speaking about btw) and it took roughly 2 weeks for the delivery. It contains 20 treatments and I’ve been sharing it with my boyfriend and we have had some pretty positive results! Anyway, I found the same product in Mannings for the price of AUD $30. 1/3 of the price. I know. CRAZY. So I guess I know where I’ll be purchasing this stuff from in the future huh! But seriously I would still buy these things even if I had to pay the $90 because my teeth have literally lightened a few shades already. I have taken progress pics but I feel like they would seriously ruin the prettiness of my blog, so use your imagination guys 😉

Bits and bobs!

Up on the 23rd floor

Well that’s it! Has anyone else been to Asia and are there any items/products that you would recommend getting? I know the mascara here is off the chain and they have amazing falsies too 🙂 Let me know in the comments below.

Today I’ve decided to bite the bullet and do my first fashion blog post. This is the one area on my blog that has been totally neglected as I’ve been worried that I’m not the biggest fashionista to walk the planet. But alas, I do have a ‘small’ (pun intended) niche for all my little shortie girls out there who are also facing the day-to-day struggles of short legs and a small waist! For all of you out there wondering I’m only 160 cm tall 🙂 So I decided why not! Let’s just go for it! Live a little! Go crazy! Ok, I think you get it.

THIS VIEW!

First up let’s just take a minute to appreciate this bloody view shall we!? No, not me you silly billy’s, the view I am partially blocking. Last Saturday the fam bam and I ventured out to our favourite place, Millbrook Winery. This littlespot of heaven boasts the most amazing views (as you can see) but what’s even better is the food and wine that goes with it at the Restaurant. The food has always been absolutely amazing (this was my 4th visit) as it’s all local produce with some things grown on location. They even went to the trouble of preparing a separate Vegan menu for Steve and I… what Sweethearts! So, if you live in Perth or are visiting Western Australia then you should treat yo’self and hit this place up! You will not regret it 🙂 Oh and maybe buy a few cheeky bottles of their wine while you’re there, the dessert wine is TO DIE FOR!

Wine? Check!

Spring over here in Western Australia for the past week has been less than average I have to say. Usually at this time of the year you can really feel that Summer is a comin’ but this was not the case this time. The temperature was hitting 18 degrees celsius when I rocked this little number, so this could easily pass as an Autumnal look also. The wind felt like it was blowing from Antarctica all week, so a jacket was necessary but I’d love to rock this outfit sans jacket to better show off the details in the leotard.

I got the lace-up black leotard from missguided.com and boy, did I get it at a steal! The awesome thing about Missguided is that they always have items on sale, so I think I only paid $17AUD for this double lined leo! Missguided always knows what’s up on the fashion front and it’s usually at a small percentage of the price you would pay at the shops. I’m a big fan of leotards as I like to double up and wear them to dancing as well because there’s nothing more annoying than a top riding up out of my pants! So yes, when I bought this one I also bought a couple of others too.. #whoops! I would definitely recommend Missguided for petite types like myself as they have a specific Petite category where all the clothes are made to fit us little-ens! But on the other hand they also have Tall category too for those of you out there with legs to die for hehe! Also, once you know your size on Missguided (small warning that sometimes the fit runs slightly smaller than normal) it makes it so much easier/cheaper to just buy clothes online and have them delivered to your door! I’m not a massive clothes shopper but I do enjoy perusing online 🙂 Here I’m wearing the size 0 which is generally the size I opt for in their tops.

Bit of a Barrel shot

Sun’s in the eyes

These pants are a new find and I bought them whilst I was home in Mandurah town. The soft cargo pants are from the brand Mela Purdie and I snagged these at a bargain 50% off! Any pants that hide my dancer’s thighs are a winner in my books and these are made from such a beautiful silky material that I was sold the minute I slipped them on. They are super light as well which I thought was perfect for travelling and also a great option heading into the warmer months. I paid $150 for them down at Beez Neez south of Perth but if your interested in them have a sneaky peek online at melapurdie.com. The lady in the store also told me that they don’t need ironing.. you simply chuck them in your washing machine, hang them out to dry and Bob’s your uncle! #DOUBLESOLD! They came in a huge range of colours but these one’s were my size and on the discount rack so y’know, beggars can’t be choosers. Ha ha I kid, I actually really enjoyed the unique burnt orange colour 🙂

So Fashion…

I decided to pair the look with some nude flats from Nine West which I bought two summers ago but I haven’t really worn because they have always felt on the smaller side. Strange, I think my feet must have lost weight.. is that even possible?! The leather jacket and bag were both gifts from a student of mine in Hong Kong (I know, student of the year award!) so unfortunately I don’t have much info on their where abouts and what not, sorry guys! All I can say is that I love this jacket like a first-born and I have worn it almost every day since I received it. It’s so versatile being 3/4 sleeved and I just feel like such a badass with the studded detailing. Every woman should have a cool leather jacket, do you agree? Funny story as to how I came to acquire this jacket actually.. I was the proud owner of a pleather jacket before I had this one which unfortunately got stolen earlier this year at a dance competition. I know, who steals a jacket..? I mean especially when it’s pleather?! But anyway, I was in Hong Kong at the time and was a bit gutted as I didn’t have a back up jacket with me and after telling the story to my student she was so lovely to give me this one. I think it was definitely an upgrade!! This bad boy is my new go-to.

My watch is Coach for all of you out there scoping it out.. I put it on the outside of my clothing because I’m a rebel without a cause 😉 And finally my sunnies are from a really cool Vintage shop in Newtown, Sydney called Retrospec’d. I absolutely LOVE cat eye sunnies.. I have a bit of a collection of them at home. These ones are a perfect fit for my face and being black they go with everything.

A bee tried to fly in my ear..

Headband?

So I think that’s it dudes! Overall I feel that whilst it is Spring here in Oz, this outfit could definitely be worn on the other side of the equator where Summer is coming to an end. Let me know in the comments below if you enjoyed this fashion post and I will maybe share more of my wardrobe with you! I guess there are a few little beauties in there 🙂

Say.. Pay Rise!!

P.S Please don’t forget to subscribe to my blog if you are enjoying my babble! If you’re on a mobile device you have to scrooooooll right to the bottom of the page and enter your deets in the box below 🙂 Thanks guys!

The other day whilst I was doing a little (early) Spring cleaning, I came across a pair of GUESS jeans that I never wear. I was naturally about to toss them into the Salvos pile until I remembered how good they fit around my waist and bum. Thinking about it I realised the only problem was that the length was more suited to a 6ft super model and I thought to myself ‘c’mon, if you haven’t gotten them altered by now are you ever going to?” the firm answer in my brain being “NUP”. Then it came to me to try to make use of them somehow. Usually, I would get way ahead of myself eager for the warmer weather and cut my old jeans into some shorts but one can only have so many pairs of denim shorts, right? So I thought maybe it would be better to cut them into a style I’ve seen #croppingup (pun intended) all over the net lately. Cropped fringe jeans. Perfect for Spring as they are just above the ankle and force us to put away them winter-y boots and considering we are almost well and truly done with winter it seemed perfect timing!

My jeans were so long that I needed to don a pair of stilts underneath them just to avoid the hem dragging in the mud (or maybe I’m just really short.. we can’t all have Victoria Secret model legs can we!!). This being said, I needed to cut off a fair amount, but if you have a pair of jeans kicking about that are already of a decent length then you wont need to cut off too much. The style of these jeans is to be above the ankle but not high enough to be 3/4 length. All you will need to create these bad boys are some scissors and tweezers, oh and some jeans. And maybe a little bit of a crafty side.. but that’s it!

What you need

Put the jeans on first and then measure and mark roughly on one leg where go would like them to finish

Take a book (or anything with a straight edge) and draw a straight line across the leg where you have marked

Fold the jeans in half lengthways lining them up at the hem (I just held mine upside down holding the hem) then lay them on a flat surface

Cut across the line making sure you are cutting both legs of the pants so that they are the same. We don’t want you looking all uneven, peg leg style!

Try them on to make sure you’re happy with the length. Too short? You can either rock it or cut them into some 3/4 length pants girlfriend!

Draw a line about 1 inch above the hem line (or however long or short you want the fringe to be)

Cut strips roughly 1-2cm apart from the hem to the line you drew in 6 all the way around on both legs

Cutting the Jeans

Cut into strips

Now comes the fun part! I say fun.. but that may be a slight stretch of the truth. It really did start off fun, but if you are anything like me and wont stop until you can see the finished product then it becomes a bit of a nightmare. Get some tweezers and
Pull each white thread

pull the white threads away from the blue threads. I tried to photograph this to the best of my ability but once you get the hang of it you will start to be able to pull out 3 or 4 threads at a time. SPEED DEMON! Keep unravelling until you reach the end of the cut, and repeat on each strip

Continue to do this for a million hours. I kid.. But seriously, I did it all in one sitting and this part took me roughly 2 hours so be warned! If you cant stand being crafty for that amount of time then I recommend breaking up the job over a couple of nights in front of the telly watching the last of the summer Olympics

Aaahh, it really was worth it in the end guys. Even though I felt like I was going cross-eyed and thought I would never regain use of my opposable thumb again, I am so happy with the way they turned out. Now I’ve got a new pair of jeans for free! #SCORE! The Salvos missed out this time I’m afraid , but who knows what the future holds. I’ll probably look back on these photos 5 years from now and cringe thinking “why oh why?!” But for now I’m just going to ease my way into Spring/Summer 2016 showing a little bit of skin at a time.

If you are as crazy and DIY loving as myself then these are a cheap and easy way of refreshing a pair of tired (or in my case ill-fitting) jeans. Let me know how yours turn out!

What you looking for?

Search for:

Rachelle is a 27 year old Australian Professional Ballroom Champion living in Sydney, NSW. Travelling the world she is constantly inspired by whatever surrounds her and that is reflected in Pink Suede. Have a look around and enjoy!